July 28, 2008 at 9:30 pm (life)
We finally broke down and purchased a new computer. M and B have been kind enough (since we’ve been on the mountain) to hand down to us their cast-offs, but now, with the dsl and all, it was necessary for us to upgrade for real.
However, J set this machine up on Sat afternoon, and I haven’t done anything else but play games on it since: there was a free preview of an Acer package that included “bookworm” which I played all day yesterday! Of course, I didn’t realize it was a preview until I tried to log on again this morning. Now I can’t play unless I pay. I’m sure it wouldn’t be worth it because once the novelty wears off (or I disgust myself completely by playing at the exclusion of eating, bathing, etc.) I will get back in to my more productive addiction (all things fiber).
There is, however, a chess game (free), that we both have been playing. I have won twice out of maybe 20 games (and it’s a really low level, too), but I think I can get better this way–there are no hard feelings or envy at my opponent, and I can focus on refining my strategies. Which is total BS. I fly by the seat of my pants and can’t look ahead that far. Good exercise in patience, tho.
The kids are gone, now–we had a great time although we didn’t do as much academics as I had hoped. That’s ok because we got along really well, and enjoyed each other’s company more than ever.
Got most of them coming back for a celebration next month (just a weekend). All but my son and his daughter–I will miss my Charlotte. But downsizing my household load is the big project I hope to finish by then. So far we have emptied out the computer space, rearranged it and put back only what we need there. I guess you can imagine what my living room looks like, I’m hoping against hope that it doesn’t turn out to be a futile moving of everything around and around (again). Why, oh why can’t I just let shit go?
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July 17, 2008 at 8:03 pm (life)
Just for the weekend–taking Jackson back to his new home in York. Six and a half hours (as opposed to 10 one way to Syracuse), and looking forward to experiencing the house of mirrors (or dreading). We have traveled more this summer than any since our move to the mountain, I think, what with chasing around kids and grandkids, and the family reunion in Chicago. Next weekend, we’ll be driving Charlotte back to Michigan–just an overnighter, but around 18 hours round trip. Also, I’ll be flying solo again in Aug to stay with my folks another time, and I hope we will make it to Va Beach one time before fall.
Although I love all my progeny more than life itself, I’m always so relieved to get back to the mountain. It’s too hot to work with wool anyway, so shooting plastic bottles with bbs, hiking down and up the drive, exploring new and wondrous flora, etc., has been keeping us busy while the kids are here. Today, I’m getting a reprieve as John has taken them all to the beach!
After they are all returned safely to their respective homes, and I am finished traveling for the year, I plan an extensive inventory of all project-related paraphernalia. I will unload much, and discover stuff I forgot I had, and plan my fall/winter/spring activities/projects. I possess copious amounts of fiber and fiber related stuff, and this is a project I’m gladly anticipating.
Note: The boringness of my recent posts has not escaped me.
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July 13, 2008 at 1:24 pm (life)
First, it’s been so long since I posted–and my computer has been through some changes–that I had to get a new password to log on.
Second, I still can’t load pictures by myself. It’s not that I’m so stupid, it’s laziness. If I can get someone else to do it, I just let them and don’t pay attention to the process. So then the next time I want pics loaded, I am a slave to the more advanced minds of others (John, Madeline, Fran), none of whom are available right now.
The end of June was my first family reunion in three years. Mom and dad are 88 this year, and the party was in conjunction with dad’s b’day. Of the 4 daughters, 12 grandkids and 20 greats, only 2 greats were not in attendance. It was great fun–there was much singing and playing of music, much playing of ultimate frisbee and bean-bag throw. We thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company and are looking to do it again in 2010!! We call our reunions “Frankstock” and make T-shirts and everything.
Since the reunion weekend, I have had grandkids on the mountain. If you read me last summer, you know that these times are my best opportunities for practicing the hardest spiritual principles: Patience, selflessness, long-suffering (endurance), etc. I have to say that I have come a long way. The treatise on loving without conditions (Paul Ferrini) has given me the best tools. Consciously remembering that nothing a kid does (or says) is more important than my loving them (being love) has totally undermined my natural tendency to lose it. More often than not, I have been able to take a deep breath and talk softly about whatever it is. Letting myself feel love for them instead of anger over the spilled milk (or whatever), seems to have established an atmosphere of peacefulness. We still have issues, of course, but the focus is on an ideal, rather than the immediate effects (of past thoughts).
With projects on the back burner, I’ve been taking stock of inventory and possibilities and looking forward to an especially productive fall season. I am loving life.
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